The 1997 Interplay U.S. Chess Championships:
Annotated Games

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1997 Interplay Women's Chess Championship

Round Three
Jorge Zamora - Larry Christiansen
Annotations by Jack Peters

IM Jack Peters

International Master Jack Peters, 46, has been the Los Angeles Times chess columnist since 1982 and has authored several books, including Bobby Fischer Vs. Boris Spassky - the 1992 Rematch.

An active tournament player as well as a chess journalist, he has won the American Open four times, the Southern California Championship 12 times, and participated in 5 US Championships.




1. Nf3	d6

2. c4       e5

3. g3       f5

4. Bg2      Nf6

5. 0-0      Be7

Black selects a sort of Dutch Defense, with his pawn on e5 rather than e6. If he played 5�g6, the position would resemble a Closed Sicilian, with colors reversed.


6. Nc3      0-0

7. d4

Another plan, more typical of the English Opening, starts with 7. d3. White may follow with b2-b4-b5 or c4-c5.


7. �        e4

8. Ng5      h6

9. Nh3

This time-consuming maneuver makes sense because the Knight will hop to f4, eyeing d5 and g6. If Black blocks the Knight's path by 9. � g5, then 10. f3, followed by Nh3-f2, destroys Black's spearhead at e4.


9. �        c6

Hoping to support his center with �d6-d5, an idea which White immediately stifles.


10. d5!     Nbd7

11. b3	Ne5

12. f3      Qa5!?

Black must respond sharply. After 12�exf3 13. exf3, White controls most of the center. A timely f3-f4 will eject Black's best-placed piece.


13. Qd2

White resorts to this awkward move because 13. Bb2? drops a pawn to 13�Nxc4! 14. bxc4 Qb6+ 15. Kh1 Qxb2. Also 13. Qc2? and 13. Bd2? lose at least a pawn to 13�Qc5+ 14. Kh1 cxd5.


13. �	      Bd8

Defending against the threatened 14. Nxe4 Qxd2 15. Nxd2.


14. Nf4?!

Natural, but Black will get the advantage. Much safer is 14. Kh1 Bb6 15. dxc6 bxc6 16. Na4. After a few simplifying exchanges, White can put pressure on Black's mass of central pawns.


14. �	      g5!

15. Ne6     Bxe6

16. dxe6    Bb6+

17. Kh1     Rae8?!

Black should strive for clarity by 17...exf3! 18. exf3 Rae8, threatening to pick off White's pawn at e6. To complicate, White would have to venture 19. f4 gxf4, when 20. gxf4 Neg4 gives Black an uncontested initiative. The only difficult calculation is 20. Rxf4 Neg4 21. h3!? (White drops the exchange by 21. Qc2 Qc5! 22. Bb2 Nf2+) Ne3! (avoiding the dangerous 21�Be3? 22. Qc2 Bxf4 23. Bxf4 Ne5 24. Bxh6) 22. Rf3 Rxe6, favoring Black.


18. fxe4    Neg4

Perhaps Larry put too much faith in his threats against f2 and h2. With a series of accurate moves, Zamora manages to defend his precarious position.


19. exf5    Nh5?

Imaginative but flawed. Black keeps some advantage with 19�Nf2+ 20. Rxf2 Bxf2 21. e4 Ng4 22. h3 Qe5! (inviting 23. hxg4? Qxg3) 23. Qd3! Nf6 24. g4 h5.


20. e4	Qe5

Threatening the spectacular finish 21�Qxg3! 22. hxg3 Nxg3 mate.


21. Rf3!

Apparently best. White could force a draw by 21. Bf3!? Nxh2 22. Qxh2 Nxg3+ 23. Kg2 Qxc3 24. Qxh6! Nxf1 25. Qxg5+ Kh8 (forced, as Black cannot stop White's pawns after 25�Qg7? 26 Qxg7+ Kxg7 27. Bb2+ Kh6 28. Rxf1) 26. Qh6+ Kg8 27. Qg5+.


21. �	      Rxe6!

Another clever shot. Black anticipates a winning attack from 22. fxe6? Rxf3 23. Bxf3 Nxg3+! 24. Kg2! Ne3+. Then 25. Kh3 loses a piece to 25�Ngf1 26. Qe2 Qf4! (threatening 27�Qh4 mate) 27. Bxe3 Nxe3 28. Bg4 h5! 29. Rg1 hxg4+ 30. Rxg4 Nxg4 31. Qxg4 Qf1+ 32. Qg2 g4+ 33. Kg3 Qe1+ 34. Kxg4 Qxc3.


22. Bb2!    Ree8

23. Re1

Now White threatens 24. Nd5, trapping Black's Queen. The initiative has changed hands.


23. �	      Bd4

24. Nd1     Bxb2 

25. Nxb2    d5?!

Black should retreat his Queen to e7, vacating e5 for his Knight.


26. cxd5    cxd5

27. Rff1    Nxh2!?

Objectively, this sacrifice should give Black drawing chances, and no more. But time pressure proves more important than the situation on the board. The other aggressive idea, 27�Nxg3+? 28. hxg3 Qxg3, should lose to 29. Bf3.


28. Kxh2    Nxg3

29. Qxd5+   Qxd5

30. exd5	Nxf1+

31. Rxf1	Re2

32. Nc4 	Rd8

33. f6?

Correct is 33. Rd1! Rxa2 34. d6, when Black will be fortunate to draw.


33. �		Rxd5

34. Re1!?	Rxa2?

After 34�Rxe1 35. Bxd5+ Kf8 36. Bxb7 Kf7 or 36. a4 Rf1 37. f7 Rf5, the proper result is a draw.


35. Kg1 	Rxf5??

A horrible move that wins the game! If the clock were not a factor, Black would aim for repetition by 35...Rd4 36. Bxb7 Rg4+ 37. Kh1 Rh4+ 38. Kg1 Rg4+.


35�         Rd4      

36.         Bxb



36. Re8+!, and White lost on time.

A tragic finish for the U.S. Junior champion, who defended magnificently against a great attacker. In the final position, White can reach a promising piece-up endgame by 36. Re8+! Kf7 37. Nd6+ Kxf6 38. Rf8+ Ke7 39. Rxf5 Kxd6 40. Bxb7.

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